Combination folding ironing-board and step-ladder.



J. M. TANNER.

COMBINATION FOLDING IRONING BOARD AND STEP LADDER.

I Patented Feb. 27,1917;

kit

JOHN MONROE TANNER, OF CARRIERS MILLS, ILLINOIS.

COMBINATION FOLDING IRONING-BOARD AND STEP-LADDER.

Application filed March 22, 1916.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, JOHN M. TANNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carriers Mills, in the county of Saline and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination Folding Ironing-Boards and StepLadders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a combination folding ironing board and step-ladder and has for its primary object to providea very simply constructed device of this character which may be easily and quickly arranged in proper position for either of the designated uses, or very quickly and compactly folded.

It is another important object of the in vent-ion to provide a device of the above character including an ironing board and step-ladder hingedly connected together at one of their ends, and a foldable brace or support mounted upon the board to support the same in its operative position, said brace and the ironing board also serving as a supporting leg for the step-ladder when the latter is in use, said brace serving to preinjury to the ironing board in the latter use of the device and to hold the board against any shifting or swinging movement with respect to the ladder.

It is a further general object of the invention to provide a device of the above character which is simple and durable in its coi'istruction, highly serviceable and convenient in practical use, and may be manufactured at comparatively small cost.

With the above and other objects in view,

my invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the present-invention when used as an ironing board;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device used as a step-ladder;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing the device folded.

Referring in detail to the drawing, 5 designates the side rails of the ladder which are connected at intervals by means of the step boards 6. The ladder rails 5 are connected together and securely braced at their Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 27, 1917.

Serial No. 85,919.

upper ends by means of the metal bar 7. The ends of this metal bar are angularly disposed and pivoted upon the inner faces of the ladder rails, as shown at 8. The in termediate portion of the bar 7 is securely fixed to the under side of the ironing board 9 adjacent to one end thereof. .Upon the outer sides of the rails 5, at their upper ends, supporting legs 10 are pivotally mounted, said legs being connected intermediate of their ends to each otherbya cross 11. The rails 5 are notched or recessed as at 12, to receive,,this cross bar when the legs are folded to lie in parallel relation to the ladder rails. A pair of metal link bars 13 connects each of the legs 10 to one of the rails 5, said link bars being pivotally connected vto each other for folding movement.

To the under side of the ironing board 9 at a point intermediate ofits ends, a second metal bar 11- is securely fixed and has its ends angularly extended from the face of the board. Upon the extremities of the bar,

the respective brace bars 15 are pivotally mounted at one of their ends. The other or free ends of said bars are connected by a cross bar-16 the intermediate portion of which, along one of its longitudinal edges, is cut away to provide a recess 17 therein. To this connecting bar 16, substantially centrally thereof, an angular metal plate 18 is securely fixed atone of its ends,-said plate being of substantially U-shaped form and having a resilient free end portion 19 adapted for clamping engagement over the end of the ironing board 9 when the parts are folded together, as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing. of the ladder rails 5 are notched or recessed, as shown at 20, and in these notches the extremities of the cross bar 16 are adapted to seat when the device is set up in condition for use as an ironing board, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

From the above description, taken in con nection with the accompanying drawing, it is believed that the construction and manner of use of my invention will be fully understood. 'It will be particularly observed,

' from reference to Fig. 2, that when the de vice is used as a ladder with the rails 5 in a vertically inclined position, the latch element 18 is engaged with the end of the ironing board 9 so as to hold the brace bars 15 in parallel relati n to the b ard and the eX- tremities of the cross bars 16 in contact with the ground. or floor surface. These enlarged ends of the cross bar projecting beyond the end edge of the ironing board, prevent contact of the board with the floor or ground surface and obviate injury thereto, and by thus providing a gripping contact with the floor or ground at spaced points, liability of accidental shifting movement of the ladder proper or the ironing board which acts as a support therefor, is obviated. The device may be very readily converted into use as an ironing board as shown in Fig. l, and when so employed, the board is securely braced by means of the supporting legs 10 as well as the brace bars 15. It is only necessary to force the pivoted or jointed ends of the link bars inwardly in order to fold the legs 10 upon the rails 5 of the ladder. The ladder and the brace bars 15 may then be folded upon the ironing board 9 and the spring clip or plate 19 engaged over the end of the board. Thus, the several parts are held in compactly assembled relation as seen in Fig. 3, and the device can be stored away in a comparatively small space for future use.

While I have indicated the present preferred construction of my combination stepladder and ironing board in the accompanying drawings, it is, of course, apparent that the same is susceptible of many modifications in these respects and I, therefore, reserve the privilege of adopting all such legitimate changes as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the in vention as claimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is 1. A device of the character described including an'ironing board, a ladder pivotally connected to one end of said ironing board, supporting means operatively connected to the latter end of the ironing board, a bracket member fixed to the under side of the ironing board, parallel brace bars pivotally connected to the opposite ends of said bracket member, a cross bar connecting the free ends of said brace bars and projecting beyond the same to operatively engage the rails of the ladder in the use of the ironing board, said cross bar being centrally provided with a recess in one edge thereof, and a spring clip fixed centrally to the cross bar and projecting from said recessed edge of the bar to engage over the end of the ironing board and hold the brace bars against swinging movement with respect thereto when the ladder is in use, the projecting ends'of said cross bar being adapted for engagement on the ground to support the ironing board in a vertical position against pivotal movement with respect to the ladder.

2. A device of the character described including an ironing board, a ladder pivotally connected to one end of said ironing board, supporting means operatively connected to the said end of the ironing board, parallel brace bars pivotally connected at one of their ends to the under side of the ironing board, a cross bar connecting the free ends of said brace bars and projecting beyond the same to operatively engage with the rails of the ladder in the use of the ironing board, and a spring fastening clip on said cross bar for engagement with the end of the ironing board to hold the brace bars against swinging movement with respect thereto, the projecting ends of the cross bar being adapted for engagement with the ground in the use of the ladderto support the ironing board in a vertical position against pivotal movement with respect to the ladder.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN MONROE TANNER.

lVitnesses DOUGLAS TANNER, J. W. PAYNE.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of latents. Washington, D. C. 

